US high court to hear key Monsanto IP case

8:43 AM MST | February 8, 2013 | â€”Kara Sissell

The Supreme Court later this month will hear arguments in a landmark case that will determine intellectual property (IP) rights involving reuse of Monsantoâ€™s genetically modified seed traits. The case, Bowman v. Monsanto, involves an Indiana grower who purchased Roundup Ready soybean seeds on the commodity market. The grower, Vernon Bowman, argues that US law protects Monsantoâ€™s patent rights only for first-generation use of the seed trait, and that reuse of Monsantoâ€™s seeds does not require a license because the seeds were purchased legally without a...